January 28, 2012

Studying to Become a Great Doctor

Studying to become a great doctor takes time and patience. The right education program, school, and location can all play a part in whether or not a student will be successful with their medical aspirations. Being proficient in writing and high school based classes will make the transition into college, and later a medical program, much easier in the future.

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Finding the Right Medical Field

To be a great doctor, you must have a passion for the type of medicine you practice. Look at the different fields of medicine and really think about the areas that interest you, would help society, or provide a fulfilling feeling if you were a success in that field. The key to remember is that the motivations must be right because the medical field can be very stressful.

Companies like Soliant Healthcare provide staffing options that will actually cater to students that are in different stages of their education. This can really help as this type of career planning can help students really figure out what field is best for them.

Staying Committed

Staying committed to the field of choice is key in ensuring that you not only complete the program, but that you maintain a level of engagement with the material. Medical schooling is very complicated at times, so staying focused will prove to be a benefit in the long run. Students that are able to remain on track and committed to their studies find that the breadth of information is absorbed and then later applied in contrast to those who are unsure of their career path.

Funding Opportunities for College Students

The University of Cambridge is an institute of...

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If you’re about to enter college or have a child who’s about to begin his or her college experience, you may be concerned about funding. Fortunately, there are many choices available to those who are entering college today. College students who are not able to simply pay their own way, or who cannot work enough to pay for their classes each semester, have options they can use in order to get through school.

You can check out Plain Green Loans as one of your options. You can also fill out the federal form for financial aid, apply for any scholarships for which you qualify, and make sure that you apply for available government loans and grants. Private lenders may also be able to assist you, but always check the interest rates that you’re offered when considering this type of opportunity. Some are better deals than others, and you don’t want your education to cost any more than necessary.

It’s very important that you understand how financial aid works for college students, so that you can make the best choices as to what is right for you. Naturally, the less you have to pay back when you’re finished with college the better off you’ll be, so consider that carefully when making decisions about loans. Grants and scholarships are better choices because you don’t have to pay them back, but most students won’t be able to get their education on scholarships and grants alone. Loans are also important – and often very necessary to funding a college education.

Saving on Your Fall School Wardrobe

Fall is just around the corner again, so it’s time to revive your school wardrobe! Fall is the time for gloves, scarves, boots, and sweaters. But before you go out and shop for new clothes, take a few steps to prepare for your shopping spree.

Inventory the Old

Go through your closets and shoes boxes. Is there anything that is still in fashion in there, or will you have to buy a whole new wardrobe? Keep only things you love and have a reason to wear. Once you’ve categorized your closet, sell or give away whatever you don’t want to make room for the new stuff! Have a yard sale or put them in a clothing donation box.

Budget

Budgeting is important to every college student. It keeps you from spending more than you have. A lot of college students are stuck in a money crunch, but even those with big paychecks should watch how much they are spending. Look at your budget to see how much you are really able to spend on clothes, while still being able to buy food!

Hunt for Sales

Now that your closet has space and your bank doesn’t fear for its dollars, you can shop guilt-free! Despite how much fun it is to rummage in person, there are lots of amazing sales online. If you plan to buy a lot at once, you can probably get free shipping on your order, too! When shopping the stores, bring coupons with you, plus check online and in the mail for back to school sales. Remember, if you look for sale items, you can buy a lot more with your budgeted funds.

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Make Literature Come Alive For Your Students

Crime and Punishment

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Most students groan when they hear the words “classic literature.” Classic lit has an unfortunate reputation for being dry, outdated, and boring. Furthermore, literature is a difficult subject to teach. Chemistry can at least fall back on experiments when the curriculum turns a little dry; literature requires students to actually read the text.

Some of your students are going to hate literature no matter what you do. However, if you don’t introduce your students to the wonderful side of literature, you may be scaring them off from reading altogether. Here are some tips for making literature interesting again.

Reenact It

Studying Crime and Punishment? Have your students do a mock trail based on the case. Divide Romeo and Juliet‘s main scenes among your students and have them reenact them. Act out the climax in Phantom of the Opera with action figures.This is a literal way to make literature “come alive.”

Bring Food Into the Equasion

Cook some of the meals mentioned in a book. Have students research popular food of the time period and bring them into class to share.

Let Them Interpret It

Ask your students what they’re interested in. Have the budding artist paint a scene from the book; let the future thespians act out a scene. Let another student write a poem inspired by the book. Set up individual meetings with your students to make sure they’re on the right track for what you’re looking for.

Have fun with your literature– your students will do the same.

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Applying for Scholarships Early

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When you are college bound, life gets overwhelming.  People wait patiently for your decision. Paperwork covers the top of your desk. Test dates loom in your calendar. To say you have a lot going on is an understatement. On top of everything else, a major concern comes in the form of paying for school. Grants, scholarships, and loans offer students a way to pay but each comes with its own list of requirements.

Scholarships take time to acquire. It begins with an application process. Plan to write your name, social security number and other basic information over and over again. However, as frustrating of an attempt as this can be, there is one thing to keep in mind: in many cases, the early bird gets the worm. The sooner you begin filling out scholarship applications and sending them in, the better chance you have of paying for your education.

While some scholarships measure a student’s need, others measure based on a “first come, first served” basis. Plan early. Some students fill out scholarship paperwork all through their high school years to accumulate the kind of money they need to pay for school.

After researching all the options, take one full day to spend just filling out applications. Enlist the help of family and friends. Do whatever it takes to get the work completed. Have plenty of envelopes and stamps so a trip to the Post Office doesn’t hold you up. When the work is completed, walk it all out to the mailbox and give a great big sign of relief. You are done filling out paperwork for scholarships.

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Make Shakespeare Fun!

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Want to know the easiest way in the world to make your students groan? Mention the word “Shakespeare.” Every high school student in the world seems to be deathly afraid of the word “Shakespeare.” They think he’s boring. They think he’s dry. They think he’s, well, old.

There’s no denying that the Bard’s got some years on him. However, Shakespeare’s got more drama (pun intended) than a modern soap opera. Swordfights! Murder! Intrigue! Romance! Dirty jokes! What’s not to love?

Here are some ways to get your students to embrace ol’ Billy Shakes.

Unlock the Text

Yes, the text is difficult to understand. Start with an introductory lesson on some of Shakespeare’s common terms. Use modern-day examples to explain the word’s meaning: “Charlie Sheen is crazy, forsooth!” or “Huzzah! TJMaxx is having a killer sale on maxi dresses!”

Next, try translating key passages with the kids into modern English.

A Shakespearian Example

Ask your kids what they think “If music be the food of love, play on/ Give me excess of it; that surfeiting/ The appetite may sicken, and so die” means.

First of all, you’ve got this crazy metaphor the kids have to understand. Have them imagine what it would be like to be hungry for a Josh Groban song instead of food. Billy Shakes is saying that love feeds on music the way we chow down on hamburgers. Next, move onto the darker part: this is a pretty lovesick guy, right? He wants to stuff so much music down his throat (or ear canals) that he won’t be heartsick anymore.

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Recommended Summer Reading for Your English Students

old Books

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If you’re a teacher looking to compile the ultimate summer reading list for your students, look no further. Here are the best books your students can be reading at the beach or in the hammocks this summer.

Grades 9 & 10

  1. “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins.
  2. “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Alexie Sherman.
  3. “The Naming” by Allison Croggon.
  4. “Nation” by Terry Pratchett.
  5. “13 Little Blue Envelopes” by Maureen Johnson.
  6. “Deadline” by Chris Crutcher.
  7. “The Spellman Files” by Lisa Lutz.
  8. “City of Bones” by Cassandra Clare.
  9. “The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic– And How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World” by Steven Johnson.
  10. “I Am Scout: the Biography of Harper Lee” by Charles J. Shields.
  11. “Dear Julia” by Amy Bronwen Zemser.
  12. “Life As We Knew It” by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
  13. “Jumped” by Rita Williams-Garcia.
  14. “The Indigo Notebook” by Laura Resau.

Grades 11 & 12

  1. “The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession” by Allison Hoover Bartlett
  2. “The Fortunes of Indigo Skye” by Deb Caletti.
  3. “City of Veils” by Zoe Ferraris.
  4. “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto” by Michael Pollan.
  5. “The Power of One: A Novel” by Bryce Courtenay.
  6. “Love in the Time of Cholera” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
  7. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky.
  8. “Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon” by David Grann.
  9. “Identical” by Ellen Hopkins.
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